Cigarette case



Feb. 14, 1933.

w. LEWNES CIGARETTE CASE Filed Jan. 24, 1950 Sheets-Sheet Inventor VZ ILL/AM ZEl V/VESf w; LEWNES CIGARETTE CASE Feb. 14, 1933.

Filed Jan.

24, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W4 L b'ML El/V/VEJ. Qzmaa A t iorney PatentedFeb. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES WILLIAM LEWNES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,ASSIGNOR TO BROOKLYN, NEW YORK PATENT OFFICE Porn CHIGURACOS, or

CIGARETTE CASE Application filed January 24, 1930. Serial No. 423,146.

This invention relates to improvements in smokers articles and hasparticular reference to a cigarette case.

The primary object of the invention resides in a cigarette case in whicha supply of cigarettes may be kept for convenient carrying in the pocketof a user, and which in cludes means for maintaining the cigarettes in abunched condition against one end wall of the case, and means by whichseveral of the cigarettes may be shifted so as to project beyond the topof the casing after the closure member or which facilitates easy removalof the cigarettes therefrom. 7

Another object is to provide a cigarette case having a slide or ejectormember mounted on the inside of one of the end walls of the case, andmeans exteriorly operated for causing the cigarettes to be moved towardthe ejector into the path of outward movement thereof, so that theentire contents of the case may be singularly ejected.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in thecertain novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, theessential features of which are hereinafter fully described, areparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved cigarette case showing theclosure member in an open position.

Figure 2 is a similar view but showing the closure member in a closedposition, but with the auxiliary door open.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view with parts broken away in sectionand showing the manner in which the cigarettes are ejected from thecasing.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view showing theauxiliary door in closed position.

Figure 5 is a detail horizontal sectional view on the line 55 of Figure3. V

Figure 6 is a sectional perspective view taken through the casing andlooking toward the ejector member.

Referring to the drawings by reference door has been opened characters,the numeral 10 designates my improved cigarette casing in its entiretyand which includes a rectangular shaped casing 11, open at its top,while hingedly mounted on one of the side walls at the open top is acover or closure member 12, the'same constituting a section 13 to whicha door 14 is hingedly connected as at 15 and which hinge is disposed atright angles to the hinge of the cover proper 12. A spring 16 serves tonormally swing the door 14- to an open position with respect to thesection 13, which section is held closed by a resilient lip 17engageable with a recess 18 in one of the side walls of the casing 11.The door 14 is held in a closed position by a resilient catch 19provided on one of the end walls of the'casing 11 and which isengageable with an inwardly extending flange or lug 20 provided on thedoor 14:. A-push button" 21 is provided on the catch member 19 wherebyinward pushing thereon will cause the catch member to release the lug 20and allow the spring 16 to swing the door 14 to an open position. Fromthe description thus far, it will be seen that when the door proper 12is swung open to the position shown in Figure 1, asupply of cigarettesmay be inserted through the open top of the casing, whereupon the coverproper or closure member 12 is moved to a closed position shown inFigure 2 of the drawings. When the section 13 is closed, as shown inFigure 2, access may be had to the cigarettes within the casing throughthe opening provided when the door 14 is released, and moved to an openposition.

Mounted within the casing 11 in spaced relation to the bottom wallthereof, 1s a false bottom 22, which terminates short of the end wall23, for a purpose to be presently explained. Slidably mounted within thecasing 11 against the end wall 23 is an ejector member 24 which issubstantially L-shaped in side elevation as shown in Figure 3 and' whichincludes an elongated flat portion 25 and a right angularly disposedplatform 26 which is of a length approximating the width of the casing11. A headed stud 27 extends from the portion 25 of the ejector memberadjacent the top thereof and extends exteriorly of the casing through avertical elongated slot 28 provided in the end wall 23, whereby thefinger of an operator may be placed upon the head of the stud and theejector member 2a moved toward and away from the open end of the casing.When the ejector member is at the limit of its inward movement, theplatform 26 is disposed on an even plane or slightly below the falsebottom 22 as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 3 for the purpose ofreceiving the cigarettes to be ejected.

For the purpose of moving the cigarettes contained within the casing 11toward the ejector member, I provide a follower device 29 which includesa contractile spring 30 bridging opposite side walls of the casing 11,the terminal ends of the spring 30 extending through horizontal slots 31provided in the opposed side walls of the casing and to which buttons ordiscs 32 are connected, and which discs are disposed exteriorly of thewalls of the casing for engagement therewith. The spring 30 places atension upon the button 32 so as to cause them to tightly engage theside walls of the casing for the purpose of holding the follower member29 in a position of adjustment.

When filling the casing 11 with cigarettes, the follower member 29 ismanually moved to a position adjacent the end walls of thecasingopposite the end wall 23, and after the cigarettes have beeninserted, the follower member is moved in a. direction toward the wall23 to cause the cigarettes to be bunched thereagainst, whereupon certainof the cigarettes will seat upon the platform 26 of the ejector member.Assuming that the cigarettesare so seated, the operator in order todispense'or eject the same, presses the button 21 to release the springdoor 14: which automatically swings to an open position after which thethumb or finger of thehand is placed upon the headed stud 27 andtheejector member 2 slid in a direction toward the open end'of the casing.By this operation, acigarette so seated upon the platform 26 will bemoved outward through the opening left by theopendoor 14., whereupon auser may withdraw the cigarettes from the casing without necessitatingreaching therein.

In the drawings I have illustrated the casing of a width sufficient topermit three cigarettes to seat upon the platform 26 at one time. and ofcourse this number will be ejected on each operation and if all are notremoved, theymay be returned to the casing bymoving the ejector memberto its normal inward position. After one or more cigarettes have beenremoved, the operator proceeds to move the follower member 29 in thedirection toward the end wall 23, thus causing the platform 26 to againbe filled with cigarettes to be dispensed onthe next ejecting operation.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that l have provided acigarette case in which cigarettes may be kept in good condition and apredetermined number ejected for removal, and which obviates the usualpractice of reaching into the package and fingering the tips of thecigarettes in order to facilitate removal. The article is simple ofconstruction, inexpensive of manufacture, and easy and positive ofoperation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent-is 1. A. device for holding cigarettescomprising a casing including a bottom wall, end walls, side walls, anda top wall hingedly carried by one of the side walls, said top wallincludinga main cover section having the hinges connected therewith anda swinging section hingedly carried by the main section and formingthereof, the swinging section forming an outlet for the delivery ofcigarettes from the easing, and means carried by the side walls of thecasing for bunching the cigarettes in the casing and for urging the sametoward one end wall of the casing adjacent to the hinge section, saidmeans embodying a transversely extending coil spring having a terminalslidably carried by the side wall of the casing, and buttons mountedcxteriorly of the side wall secured to the ends of the spring.

2. A device for holding and dispensing cigarettes comprising a casingincluding a bottom wall, opposed endwalls, and opposed side walls, thetop wall having an outlet opening therein adjacent one of the end walls,said opposed side walls having transversely disposed alined slotstherein, a: tensioned coil spring extending transversely through saidcasing with the ends projecting exteriorly thereof through said slots,and manipulating elements carried by opposite ends of said coil springand which are normally drawn into tight frictional contact with theexterior sides of said side wallsby the tension thereof, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified. y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

lVILLIAM LEWNES.

a substantial continuation

